A Trip to Remember
by Henderschmidt11
Summary: Jerome couldn't help but get himself into another mishap and was brought to the hospital once again. But what his close friends Mitch and Emma first thought of this trip to be a small thing, turned into something more. New emotions were found as well as old memories. Come and join them in their emotion-filled "treasure hunt".
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys, so another one-shot. Figured I could upload something because I just...haven't. (Great reason, huh?) But I'm trying out a good amount of genres on here and focusing one for say like this one is focused on the hurt/comfort genre. I hope to do a few more of these one-shots in the future, and this one has a dash of Merome in it. Hope you enjoy!**

Silence. The only thing that could be heard in the lonely room Mitch sat in. The white and gray walls were caving in on him, as Mitch sat in those unforgiveable plastic chairs. He never thought this would happen; no one did.

Jerome was known as the reckless bacca he was, and loves going to the extreme. The dare devil of his friends, yet knows his boundaries. Mitch thought that Jerome this time had passed it by twenty steps ahead the forbidden line.

It was all because of the most recent survival games he and Jerome did. They had three verses two that game, a very rare event in your regular hunger deens. Mitch had taken out the one with the least armor in a breeze leaving Jerome and he with the more prepared ones under pvp _and_ armor. Jerome and Mitch caught a quick look at each other's eyes with a knowing look.

The fight was taking place pretty close to the edge of the dome, giving the benj and bacca duo a great advantage, as they could corner their opponents. They had smashed that plan many times and have achieved, but something was different this time. One of their opponents was a hacker, having a "speedy" advantage.

It all went down how every battle like this would. The hacker's teammate took a few steps back and the hacker went to work. He smacked Mitch and Jerome once a round with an iron sword like a tennis match, not giving the two a chance to swing. While Mitch had slid across the grass, Jerome had slammed his head against the dome, a block's corner colliding with Jerome's head. And the two best friends were out of the game.

Mitch expected a fine Jerome to walk out the revive lobby. But instead, Jerome came back beat up as he was in the competition. Something had gone wrong with the revive machine, and Jerome was rushed to the hospital immediately.

Jerome was said to have brain damage and a few abrasions on his arms and legs that recently were sown together already. What did worry Mitch to some extent was that fact that Jerome would have some memory loss in the process. Yes, Jerome would soon enough be up and about again, but what would he come back to consciousness with? Would he forget the fact that he was indeed reckless? Would he forget his friends? Would he forget…Mitch? And Emma…Mitch hadn't thought about that till now. What would his girlfriend think?

"There's no way I can keep this from her," Mitch mutters, as he turns to look at Jerome, "I have to tell her."

Mitch then takes out his phone, and pulls up his contacts list. He stared at the options under Emma's name: Call and SMS. His eyes first land on the call option, but shuddered not wanting her to hear the fear and worry in his voice. So he shakily tapped the 'SMS' button and started to type. As he continued with typing the text, Mitch's heart started beating faster, so much so he'd thought_ he himself _would pass out. Finally, he pressed 'Send', and waited…

_**Emma: How did this happen?!**_

Mitch released the breath that he unknowingly held, but in-took one again when typing the reply.

_**Mitch: It was another survival games round and he hit his head. He should be fine though. It's not the first time he's hurt his head. There's nothing to be afraid of.**_

_**Emma: Ok…is he at the one closest to the school?**_

_**Mitch: yeah**_

_**Emma: Thx, be there in 5**_

And he shut the device off. Even though his small talk with Emma was over for now, his own thoughts still haunt him. Unlike all the other hospital visits with Jerome, this one seemed…different. This time there was more tension, worries, poured emotion that filled the Benja's mind. He just couldn't believe that this trip would be taken this far. Suddenly, a knock was heard on the door, making his neck hair stand at attention.

"Come in," Mitch shakily responds, and Emma walks in…

"Hey Mitch," she softly greets me, closing the door behind her as her eyes are kept on Jerome and I, "How is Jerome?"

"He's under stable condition," I try to reply as chill as possible, "The anesthesia still has him sleeping but other than that not much since I got here. I got to see him only like ten minutes before he went into surgery."

"Ok," she sighs, "I can stay here if you want to get something to eat. I'll update you, as time goes on, if you want."

"Nah," Mitch waves his hand at Emma in a dismissive way, "I had like a snack bar on the way here so…yeah."

"You sure you don't even need fresh air?" Emma asks out of concern, making Mitch sigh. Not that Mitch was used to Emma's concern already, but he felt like he can't just leave his best friend's side. Not at a time like this..

"Fine; _but _only for ten minutes."

"Deal," she nods her response. Mitch takes one more glance at his best friend before leaving the room without another word. Emma could only sit so long until she got up from another chair beside Mitch's chair after only a minute. And she looked at Jerome…the machines…the beeping noises driving her crazy, yet she somehow kept it under control.

No one knew how she did it, as this wasn't Emma's first emotion twisting sight. A random stranger would say she was emotionless with her expression, but to other that knew her, she was just best at staying strong and keeping the group or even just one person holding their head above the water. But one day, she knew she herself would need saving, and Emma feared that day might be today.

She had been through much with that bacca. Emma had also a few times entered into a survival games competition with the close duo, and knew the feel. The challenging, competition feel got to her sometimes, and Jerome would have to snap her out of it. They'd keep each other in check, had each other's back, much like how Jerome was also with Mitch. Emma smiled with that thought filling her mind.

I mean, she knew this wasn't the end, at all. This was just took…a longer waiting process. So just for the time being, Emma thought, I just have to wade it out.

"This will soon be all forgotten," Emma now quietly speaks to herself, "Everything will soon be back to normal. He'll soon be back to winning the hunger games," she continues, with a small happy chuckle and a small smile forming, "And we three will get back into the swing of things…"

"We sure will," a voice replies, surprising Emma by a little bit, as her left hand had somehow landed under her neck area.

"Jerome? You're awake," Emma smile gets a bit bigger.

"I have been," Jerome side smiles back a bit weakly, "I just…wanted to hear everything you had to say. I haven't heard from you in almost a week. What happened?"

"That's not important, Jerome," Emma sighs, "I just want to spend time with you now."

"But it's important to me," Jerome gently pushes. Emma's eyes shoot downward for a few seconds before looking back into Jerome's concerned and curious eyes.

"I was busy with family, my older brother had to leave for a war. Herobrine was at it again, and Notch needed everyone he can get on board. It was hard for me, Jerome. And it still is…"

"Oh…I'm sorry I asked…bu-"

"Don't worry about it," Emma softly grins back at the bacca, calming him down, "Oh, thought I should say. Mitch had gone out to get some fresh air, but," and Emma looks at her phone, "I'm sure he'll be back in 3…2…1…"

And a knock on the room's door was heard.

"Come in," Jerome and Emma simultaneously say, making them both chuckle at the same time.

"Jerome, you're up!" Mitch breaks out into an ear-to-ear grin, "How are you feeling, dood?"

"Head still hurts, but I should be back to normal in no time," Jerome returns Mitch the same smile Mitch has, "Nice to see ya, homie."

"Right back at you, biggums," Mitch replies, as he and Jerome fist bump. And Emma's phone buzzes.

"…I have to go," Emma reluctantly says, her vision shifting from Jerome to Mitch, "My parents need me back at the house."

"Oh…"

"I'll be here tomorrow though," Emma tried to lift Jerome's spirits, "Hopefully around the same time, as when I got here."

"Ok, I'll see you later, Emma."

"Bye, Jerome…bye Mitch."

All Jerome and Mitch could do was wave, as she opened the door and left.

"Hey Jerome, maybe you should get some more rest," Mitch suggests, making Jerome give him an 'are you serious?' expression.

"Dood, I just woke up from a terrifying hibernation. I'm not just gonna go back and sleep _again._ Are you nuts?"

"Alright then," Mitch sighs in defeat, "I'll be here until dinner time, then sadly, I would have to go too."

"Ok," was all Jerome had to say before the two were drawn into a comfortable silence. They sat like that for the next two hours, smiling and chuckling at each other every once in a while, knowing what the other was most likely thinking.

It was something that Jerome liked and didn't like at the same time. Trips to the hospital were a pain to even just sit in a bed and do nothing. But that one thing he was happy for, was the fact that his friends would stand by him the whole way…

_~~~Epilogue~~~_

_After that week, as thought and talked of, Jerome did get better, but it didn't end well for Emma brother as he died in that war. Even though Jerome still had physical scars, Emma's emotional ones left a mark on her more. Might it just be time for Jerome to now help Emma heal her scars?_

**A/N: ****Thanks guys for reading this, if you have read this far :P You can also know that I have a secret story in the making called "Minecraftia's End?" It's a whole new story so if you want to see a sneak peak, let me know in dat review section and I'll post it as a "chapter 2" on here, and I hope to see you guys in another story!**

**~Emily HSMC**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So...part 2! I only realized a day after posting this that I had left an open door for some continuation, and with a few reccomendations from a few readers, I thought I'd continue it. Now this is not going to be a full story but a short one. I have planned at least two more parts for this...inspiration struck! ****Hope you enjoy!**

**~~~PART 2~~~**

**~~~1 month later…~~~**

"Ok, Mitch," Jerome steadily starts, already hyping up Benja's nerves, "I think I'm ready to get back in dat hunger deans grind."

"Are you freaking _nuts, Jerome_?" Mitch stops the insistent bacca on the sidewalk. The two buds had just finished their lunch at their usual pizza place. And that was _the least_ Mitch would let Jerome do outside of the house, "It's only been a little over _a month _since the last survival games incident, and you want to go at it _again?_"

"But this is no different from last time, biggums," Jerome nonchalantly responds, as he continues walking. It took about five seconds to register in the Benja's mind that his friend had continued walking, "And since when did you start calling the hunger deans…the survival games? Is that new?"

"Jerome, I'm serious!" Mitch suddenly bursts out, "That's why I called it survival games!" Jerome shrinked back at Mitch's loud voice, and it suddenly hit Bajan like a baseball to the bat. Jerome was, obviously, still recovering from the hospital trip, as Mitch was himself. 'Maybe that was why he asked me that question', Mitch thought, 'I shouldn't have come out like that…'

"I'm sorry about that, Jerome," Mitch sheepishly scratches that back of his neck, "I was wrong; it actually _is _the hunger deans." In response, Jerome just flattened his lips and nodded, and they continued their way in silence.

It didn't take long for Mitch to realize that he said something wrong. This week wasn't hard for _just _Jerome, Mitch thought; he never thought that he'd feel this different at all.

"So…Mitch," Jerome speaks up, perking Benja's ears, "How's Emma doing? It's not that I haven't talked to her _at all _but…"

"Yeah, I know, biggums," Bajan replies in an understanding tone. What made Mitch hesitant was…exactly what Jerome is asking! In reality, she wasn't doing fine. Emma and her brother were as close as sibling could be. And you can imagine what happened when Emma heard the news, "Um she's…she's…"

"She's what, Mitch?" Jerome now asks with a lot more concern. Well, Mitch just blew _his _chance to hide it. But why would he do that in the first place, most would wonder.

"She's still not taking it as well as we hoped," Benja breathes out, "Her parents are doing better that her actually, which honestly is a bit strange."

"I think I should go over."

"Jerome," Mitch stops Jerome from walking again, "I don't think so, buddy. She just needs time to herself right now."

"But it's been almost _five weeks _since she found out," Jerome tries to reason, "Maybe now she needs someone to help her through it."

Mitch took in Jerome's words and thought about it. Could this be one of those rare times that his bacca friend is right? Never has the Benja ever seen or heard Jerome so serious before, as he is usually a light, happy, and care-free bacca. And all Mitch could do was sigh in response.

"Can't we just see her once?" Jerome hopefully asks.

"Sure."

**~~~Time Skip~~~**

**~~~In Emma's room…~~~**

_Tick…tick…tick…_

"Ugh, why do I keep staring at this Notch damned clock?" Emma groans, releasing a huff through her nose. She was currently laying on her bed, the place she was the past week straight. Her mom, and occasionally her dad, would bring her breakfast, lunch, and dinner because she wouldn't get out of bed. But every dinner time, her mother would try to coax Emma out of her room, but it never worked once.

"Who is it?" Emma softly asks, half of her face smashed into her pillow.

"Emma? It's me, Jerome, and Mitch as well."

"Come in," and the duo opens the door, Jerome peeking in first, as Emma sits up on her bed.

"Hey Jerome," Emma's countenance brightens upon seeing her bacca's face again, "Hey Mitch. How are you both? It's been too long."

"Too long indeed," Mitch sends Emma a smile right before his phone vibrates, making Mitch subtly jump, "My mom needs me back home. Looks like she realized I haven't done my share of chores today."

"Ah, I'll see you later, G," Jerome was first to say, as Mitch raised an eye brow at his furry friend.

"Yeah, I'll see you back at your house," Mitch replies in an assuring tone, making Jerome roll his eyes, and Jerome smiles towards Emma.

"So, how have you been?" Emma wonders aloud, adjusting herself on her bed.

"That is actually what I came here to ask you," Jerome lightly chuckles, sitting himself at the foot of her bed, "I'd like to know how you have been, Emma."

"I am fine, Jerome," she smiles at said bacca, but Jerome wouldn't buy it.

"Come on, Emma," Jerome gently says, "I understand, and you know that. You can trust me."

"Yeah…I know that…"

"So what's holding you back?"

Emma's eyes dart to the opposite side of Jerome to her lone window. Jerome noticed the almost immediate action and flattened his lips, feeling doubted.

"I'm-I'm sorry, Jerome, but I just don't want to talk about it right now," Emma sadly responds, stopping Jerome's want for answers. She let out a heavy sigh, as she falls back on her bed. Her head sinking into her pillow some, "This time, Jerome, things just feel out of place…"

"I know how that feels," Jerome agrees, lighting up Emma's mood on the subject. It takes Jerome a few silent moments before he could come out with his next question… "Emma, do you ever think…that maybe we could…I don't know, start over?" Emma's eyes turn back to look at Jerome's now thinking of the sudden, mind-boggling question. Is it possible for that to happen? With Emma's sibling loss and Jerome's feared incident at hand and in thought, one would think how _could they _start over? But this couple had other ways of thinking.

"Yeah," Emma slurs, a soft smile replacing her blanked expression, "I'm sure we can do that."

"How about we go back to where I first met you? And we can start there?" Jerome suggests, getting up from his spot on Emma's bed, as Emma does the same.

"Sure, um…remind me where that was?" Emma sheepishly asks, her cheeks flushing red out of embarrassment for a few seconds.

"How can you forget?" Jerome just laughs it off, intertwining Emma's right hand with his, "It was at lobby 4 in the hunger deans."

**A/N: *Morgan Freeman voice* So, some references were made, and a cliffhanger was placed. Hope to see y'all in the next chapter in which our author has made haste.**

**Ok, I suck at rhyming stoof but see you in the next part!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Two weeks...for this update. I think I am slowing down on my writing right about now. So, I have decided after finishing the last part for this and my other story "A New Dimension?" Ima take a Fanfiction break. But it won't last forever, I'll be sure of that. I am writing another story (supernatural might I add) for when I come back, so I can post regularly like once every week or something. And while posting that, I'll be writing my next and so on. I hope to also, in the mean time, also posting a one shot every now and then. **

**~~~PART 3~~~**

"Uh, Jerome, I'm not sure if now is a good time to enter into the hunger deans…" Emma uneasily tells Jerome, as they approach lobby 4's survival games application desk, "Are you sure you're ready to get into another game yet?"

"I'm sure I am," Jerome confidently says, entering both him and Emma into the next competition.

"Ok…Emma and Jerome?" the lady in the front desk asks, and the couple nods their heads, "You two are all set, and make sure to vote on a map," she concludes handing both of them a voting card, "Have fun you two!"

"Thanks," Jerome and I reply, just about a second off each other, and we step aside for the next person.

"Oh! Emma, vote for 'Breeze Island 2'!" Jerome excitedly says, checking that off himself. It was all coming back to me now. I remembered that map now as clear as day! And I checked off 'Breeze Island 2' as well.

"One minute till arena teleportation for number 23," a robotic voice booms across the lobby 4 waiting room. And, coincidentally, it was Jerome and Emma's waiting number.

"Oh, I'm so pumped!" Jerome smiles as bright as a sun, clenching his fists from excitement. It's has been forever since I have seen Jerome so happy, and I missed it dearly.

"Same here," Emma laughs at Jerome's antics, but actually felt a bit nervous herself. Sure, she had won the last hunger games she did, but after almost two months? Emma sure hoped that her pvp skills would kick-in again in this competition.

And to not everyone's surprise, once it passed one second on the timer, all twenty-four tributes were teleported to the survival games or 'hunger deans' arena, each player on his respective spawning stand. And standing on the north side of the map was indeed Jerome and Emma, their spawns side by side.

"Ah, the energy…it's been some time," Jerome marvels, shaking his arms and stretching his legs. Basically how you'd see a basketball player (and I'm sure many other sports players) prep his body before the upcoming game, that he might not stretch a muscle during the first dash to the chests.

Emma knew Jerome would always go for spawn, usually acquiring a weapon of some sort right off the bat, even if it is wooden. Emma, yes, would go for spawn too, but for only certain maps for she would 'trip up' on her escape route. This map was a spawn worthy one.

"Yeah, I know right, Jerome…?"

_**5…**_

_**4…**_

_**3…**_

_**2…**_

_**1…**_

And the starting gun went off! And so were the tributes. The cornucopia dash was indeed a kill thirsty one, as this time half of the competitors were taken out instead of its usual four to six. Five 'smart' tributes had split at the beginning missing out on all the killing, as Emma, Jerome, and five other tributes –did I mention all of them were teams of two and three? Soon enough, everyone had traveled to different parts of the map, now searching for loots that scattered the dome.

"To the ship!" Jerome announces, making Emma wince at the loudness. Not that it had ever bothered her, but just this time…

"Jerome, pipe down," she wacked his shoulder in a scolding manner, "You don't want to hint to the other tributes do you?"

"All the tributes would have scattered by now," Jerome replies in a chilled tone, continuing their walk or pretty much a stroll now to said pirate-looking ship, "Lest I cup my hands and scream it like there's no tomorrow then they'll hear me." At this, Emma shook her head and laughed to herself for what Jerome just explained, technically, was an idiotic thing even for Jerome to do.

"See, Emma; there's nothing to worry about."

"-except for the lily pad parkour."

"Yeah, except for that…" another giggle escaped from Emma's lips as she gets a head start on the lily pads, Jerome following behind little by little falling behind Emma some.

"Jerome, I thought you were a 'parkour master'," Emma chuckles, taking a look back at a struggling Jerome. What made it more entertaining was the look that Jerome wore of both disappointment and disgust at the same time.

"I was," Jerome retorts, "but the long break must have caught my skills off guard."

"I'm sure you'll be back into the swing of things before you know it," Emma assures him with a confident smile. Jerome, finding himself at the foot of the ship's ladders, wore an astounded expression as he climbed up to find that Emma had already looted three chests on deck.

"Here, Jerome; I found a lingerie helmet and a chicken-nugget butter chestplate for you. Also a stone sword, which honestly surprised me for a second."

"Mitch and I actually call it a 'boobplate' but thanks for them, Emma," was Jerome's somewhat offended and prideful reply, but, as said, the bacca gladly accepted Emma's offering. Emma raised an eye brow at this, thinking along the lines of 'Guys…one thing I will never understand.'

"I guess there are some things I still have yet to learn about you two, more so you of course," Emma sheepishly ends, putting on her own gold (budder) chestplate from another chest.

"Ha, yup," Jerome chuckles, slipping on his own given helmet, "Oh, and you can keep the sword. I swiped a stone axe from a very distracted tribute and killed him with it."

"Hmm," Emma thoughtfully expresses, giving it an 'umph' to it, "First time I ever heard, let alone seen, that happen."

"Yeah, you'd think people who enter these types of competitions would pay more attention to their surroundings," Jerome says, scoffing under his breath.

"Well, Ima go and check the chests inside the captain's quarters,

Emma nudges behind her, already making her way into said area. Jerome just nodded her off and took a look next to the front of the ship, spotting two more unlooted chests lying there, just "dying" to be opened.

Unknown to the teamed couple, there was the team of two spying from afar but within archery range. Unfortunately, Jerome or Emma didn't have a bow nor arrow on the ship, but neither have the opposing teamers, which left them to a melee option…

Jerome froze in place, getting that eerie feeling of being watched. If Jerome could talk freely without this said weird feeling, he'd say his bacca senses were tingling, and it wasn't a good one either. The bacca whiffed around in time to see the "unexpected" teamers jumping down from the sail and into fighting stances.

"You two," Jerome huffs, remembering them. The two that Mitch had wished to forget a little over a month ago.

"Hmm, I don't seem to recognize you," the one to the right thoughtfully responds.

"Maybe this will jog your memory," Jerome starts, his anger slowly rising, "You are the one who sent me to the hospital a month ago! And scared my friends lifeless!"

"Whoa, easy buddy," the same hacker from the last incident steps back with hands up beside his face in a surrendering manner, "I just beat you and your friend's asses in the survival games. It was the machine that didn't work." Meanwhile, the hacker's "friend" and slipped the hacker's side about to kick Jerome from the competition…

"You little-"

"Jerome, no!" Emma yells, bringing her arm back ready to throw a spare stone axe she had on her. With as much strength that she could muster, Emma threw the axe at the competitor about to swing his sword at Jerome. But said competitor was a quick thinker, and eliminated Jerome by shoving the iron sword through the bacca's back. And they both disappeared from the arena…

"Huh, a new friend have we here, Jerome?" the hacker looks up, as if he knew that Jerome was watching them as a spectator, "This will be an easy take," said hacker mutters to himself, wielding out a sharpness two diamond sword, as Emma wields a plain iron sword.

"Emma, don't!"


End file.
